Updated Today at 12:00 AM
Date | Average Oil Price |
---|---|
11/21/2024 | $3.004 |
11/20/2024 | $3.004 |
11/19/2024 | $3.009 |
11/18/2024 | $3.009 |
11/17/2024 | $3.009 |
11/16/2024 | $3.009 |
11/15/2024 | $2.994 |
11/14/2024 | $2.994 |
11/13/2024 | $2.994 |
11/12/2024 | $2.994 |
11/11/2024 | $2.994 |
11/10/2024 | $3.005 |
11/09/2024 | $3.005 |
11/08/2024 | $2.988 |
11/07/2024 | $2.988 |
11/06/2024 | $2.988 |
11/05/2024 | $2.988 |
11/04/2024 | $2.988 |
11/03/2024 | $2.988 |
11/02/2024 | $2.988 |
11/01/2024 | $2.988 |
10/31/2024 | $2.988 |
10/30/2024 | $2.992 |
10/29/2024 | $3.027 |
10/28/2024 | $3.027 |
10/27/2024 | $3.027 |
10/26/2024 | $3.027 |
10/25/2024 | $3.027 |
10/24/2024 | $3.027 |
10/23/2024 | $3.027 |
Homeowners have a variety of home heating fuels to choose from. Natural gas is the most popular choice in Chester County, used by 2,698,438 or 51.75% of homes. The 2nd most popular choice for Chester County homeowners is electricity, used by 1,275,546 homes (24.46%). The remaining homes are heated with heating oil (786,449), propane (256,098), wood (122,435), and other fuels (139,486).
Chester County Primary Home Heating Fuel Popularity by Number of Households
Fuel | Chester County Households | % of Households |
---|---|---|
Natural Gas | 2.6M | 51.8% |
Electricity | 1.2M | 24.5% |
Heating Oil | 786,449 | 15.1% |
Propane | 256,098 | 4.9% |
Wood | 122,435 | 2.4% |
Coal | 51,531 | 1.0% |
Other Fuels | 50,506 | 1.0% |
No Fuel | 33,356 | 0.6% |
Solar | 4,093 | 0.1% |
Natural gas (51.8%)
Electricity (24.5%)
Heating oil (15.1%)
Propane (4.9%)
Wood (2.4%)
Coal (1.0%)
Other fuels (1.0%)
No fuel (0.6%)
Solar (0.1%)
Heating oil has become less popular in Chester County. In the 11 years since 2011, the number of heating oil homes fell from 1,034,857 to 786,449, a 24.00% drop.
Chester County Heating Oil Households (2011 - 2022)
Year | Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
2011 | 1.0M |
2012 | 1.0M |
2013 | 963,754 |
2014 | 930,735 |
2015 | 899,276 |
2016 | 864,952 |
2017 | 843,020 |
2018 | 828,104 |
2019 | 814,213 |
2020 | 811,086 |
2021 | 790,823 |
2022 | 786,449 |
Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using propane as the primary space heating fuel rose from 178,660 to 256,098.
Between 2011 and today, the number of homes using natural gas as the primary space heating fuel rose from 2,537,831 to 2,698,438.
Electric space heating systems are becoming more popular in Chester County. Since 2011, the number of homes heating with electricity rose from 969,117 to 1,275,546, a 31.62% increase.
Solar is the most environmentally friendly of all space heating fuels. With an “active” solar heating system, liquid is circulated between solar panels on a home’s roof and a heat energy storage tank in the basement.
Currently, 4,093 homes in Chester County are heated with active solar arrays. This is a 351.77% increase from 2011, when only 906 homes had installed active solar heating.
Last year, Chester County homeowners purchased a total of 29 million gallons of heating oil.
Short Term Trends
Chester County’s overall heating oil use varies from year to year, primarily depending on how cold each winter is. As the temperature outside gets colder, homes’ heating systems need to burn more and more oil to keep homes warm. Last winter in Chester County, the average outside temperature was 6.3° F warmer than the prior winter's average outside temperature.
Chester County Average Winter Temperature
Heating Season | Average Temperature |
---|---|
Winter 2023 - 2024 | 34.5° F |
Winter 2022 - 2023 | 28.2° F |
For Chester County homeowners heating with oil, selecting which of the 40 heating oil companies that serve Chester County is an important decision.
Full Service Oil Companies: Homeowners willing to pay a premium for a “set-it-and-forget-it” heating system choose one of the 107 “full-service” oil companies that serve Chester County. Full service companies such as Atlas Oil Company or John Couchara Heat & Fuel Inc offer automatic fuel delivery and furnace repair under a single roof.
Discount Oil Companies: Also known by the names “COD Fuel Companies” or “Cash Heating Oil Companies”, these companies are for the budget-conscious Chester County homeowner. In return for better prices, you monitor the oil level in your tank and place an order when you run low on oil. Examples of cash heating oil companies that serve Chester County include Mauger & Company Inc and Reilly & Sons Inc.
Chester County Heating Oil Company Fast Facts
Heating Oil Companies Serving Chester County: 40 companies
Average Number Of Chester County Homes Served Per Company: 1,133 homes
Average Gallons Delivered per Chester County Oil Company: 731,128 gallons per year
Approximately 45,321 households in Chester County heat their homes with fuel oil. This makes oil delivery essential, especially when Chester County temperatures drop as low as 42.5° F each winter.
20% of Chester County Households Rely On Heating Oil Delivery Each Winter
Chester County Households | Chester County Heating Oil Households |
---|---|
216,305 | 45,321 |
472 Chester County Oil Companies Go the Distance
With 29 million gallons of heating oil delivered to Chester County homeowners during the winter of 2023, the Chester County community relies on its 472 oil companies to keep warm.
Oil delivery is a two step process: First, an oil truck picks up oil at the nearest bulk fuel terminal. In the case of Chester County, two of the closest terminals are Buckeye in Malverne, PA and Etmt in Twin Oaks, PA. Then, the truck delivers the #2 heating oil to homes and businesses in Chester County.